


I Can Still Come Home To This

by oliviathecf



Series: Hal's Birthday, 2020 [5]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics)
Genre: 2000s, Alcohol, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oliviathecf/pseuds/oliviathecf
Summary: He didn't deserve the kindness, but Guy made sure that he got it anyway.
Relationships: Guy Gardner/Hal Jordan (Mentioned)
Series: Hal's Birthday, 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634401
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	I Can Still Come Home To This

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of feelings about post-Parallax Hal, okay?
> 
> Title is from All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem.
> 
> Enjoy!

It was more than a little awkward to be sitting in the middle of Warriors on Oa, surrounded by dirty looks and harsh whispers. They hated him and he understood, the wounds still fresh. The people still lost, still _killed_ by his own hands.

“God, would ya relax, Jordo? I already poured you a drink, stop moping so much!” Guy said, slamming his palms down on the bartop.

Guy had caught him as his mind wandered, far from the present and far into the past. He had made so many mistakes, he didn’t know why Guy was looking at him like he was anything but a monster.

Like how most of the other members of the Corps looked at him.

But he plastered a smile on his face and picked up the drink Guy had poured. He still knew his regular drink, coke and rum with lime. He didn’t drink much those days, he didn’t like to feel out of control after what he had become the last time he had felt that way. Still, it was his _birthday_ and Guy had insisted that they celebrate. 

Something else pulled him out of his thoughts, mainly a shoulder knocking into him, nearly pushing him off the barstool. He didn’t recognize the Lantern who was sizing him up, he looked like a big blue lizard, something that made him feel another hint of guilt. 

Guy was involved before the alien could talk about his dead sectormate or sibling or friend, something else to add to the guilt that coiled in his stomach, cold and tight. He deserved it, he deserved every word and glance fired his way, but Guy seemed to have other ideas.

“Hey, watch it, Norrin. I’m not afraid to ban you from the only decent place to get a drink on Oa, so I suggest that you step away from my friend here.” He said, leaning over the bar to point a finger in the Lantern’s long snout-like face.

The Lantern, Norrin, hesitated before backing off, hands raised in what felt like a mock of surrender. He knew that what he had done painted a target on his back, and it was well deserved.

“Look, I get that you’re sad or whatever. But I still want you to have a good time, I’ll kick them all out if you want me too. I see Rayner and Johnny walkin’ in now, you won’t have to think about the rest of em.”

It was actually sweet in a way, Guy wasn’t sweet until he was. He had thought that Guy hated him, yet he forgave him almost right away when John still could hardly look him in the eye, when Kyle hardly knew him as anything but a monster. Yet Guy...his kindness went...it went beyond typical friendship, and Hal couldn’t let himself think about what that could mean.

He didn’t deserve his friendship, nevermind _something_ else.

John drew him into a tight hug, patting his back firmly, and Kyle tapped their knuckles together, he appreciated the fact that they were trying to forgive him for what happened.

They sat on either side of him, the packed bar still managing to leave space around him that his fellow Lanterns, his _friends_ filled easily.

Hal felt a lot more at ease with them around him, darkness replaced by that Green light. He wasn’t a monster with his friends at his side, he didn’t have to succumb from the heavy weight of Parallax. Of the actions and consequences of a man who had lost control, the monster who wore his face. Hal still felt responsible, he had let himself get infected, but he felt a little less like he had to bare all the weight.

He even found himself smiling, laughing and telling stories of the olden days, listening as Kyle regaled them with his wild youth. It felt good to be surrounded by laughter and a truer sort of happiness than he had felt in a very long time. Maybe he hadn’t ever felt anything like it, with the bright, colorful Kyle who he’d want to get to know a hell of a lot more in their group. And with John, who told stories like an artform, who laughed with his whole body.

And with Guy. Who he butted heads with more often than not, who was quickly becoming his closest friend, willing to throw away any form of reputation to stand at Hal’s side.

He wouldn’t ever be able to forget about Parallax. What he had done while he _was_ Parallax. But he knew that he could chase away the dark thoughts for at least a little while, let some light back in. And, slowly, he could start to heal the cracks, the scars branded into his body and his mind.

It felt so good to be positive for once in his life, their night continuing long after Guy had kicked the rest of the Lanterns out to close the bar.

Slowly, the rest of them trickled out, Kyle talking about finishing up some drawing in his sector house, John having to report for patrol early, leaving just Hal and Guy. Hal leaned over the bar, watching as Guy started to put the various sized mugs up on shelves and hooks, eyes lidded with exhaustion as well as the drinks he’d drunken.

“Thanks, Guy.” He murmured.

He thought that he had whispered it for a moment, that Guy hadn’t heard him. But Guy always seemed to hear him those days.

“You deserved it, Hal. Coming back from something like that, you earned a night like this.”

Hal wanted to say that he didn’t, that he hadn’t earned anything. But...it felt like the wrong thing to say. Instead, he hummed, continuing to watch as Guy finished closing up the bar for the night. His stool was the last to get turned up, wobbling until Guy got a shoulder around him.

He locked up and they started to stagger back to Hal’s sector house as the nearest star started to rise above the horizon, starting to turn that strange green and blue sky to an odd yellow color.

“Sorry that I couldn’t get you a gift, by the way.” Guy said as they walked, and Hal had to laugh.

Because he had already done _everything_ that Hal could ever need.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me at these various places online, feel free to hit me up about this fic or some of my other ones!
> 
> [ Fic Blog. ](https://fanfictionolivia.tumblr.com/)   
>  [ Twitter. ](https://twitter.com/fficolivia)


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